Customer Integration & Test Engineer (Precision Guidance)

Job Description:

Your Impact

Leonardo is seeking an experienced customer-facing engineer to join the Integrated Sensing & Protection (ISP) Line of Business, supporting Leonardo's Precision Guidance portfolio, including SAL Seeker and Compact Seeker products.

Working as part of Leonardo's customer support and engineering community, you will provide specialist technical support to domestic and international customers throughout the integration, verification, validation, qualification and operational deployment of Precision Guidance systems.

This is a highly customer-facing engineering role requiring close collaboration with platform integrators, weapon system manufacturers and Leonardo engineering teams. The primary objective is to ensure customers achieve maximum value from integration and test activities while enabling the successful fielding and operation of Leonardo Precision Guidance products.

The role demands strong technical competence, systems thinking and excellent stakeholder engagement skills. You will frequently act as the technical bridge between customers and Leonardo's Precision Guidance development teams, helping to resolve integration challenges, support complex trials and identify opportunities for product improvement.

Regular UK and international travel will be required to support customer integration activities, trials, demonstrations and in-service support.

How you will support the ISP Precision Guidance business:

Precision Guidance Technical Support

• Acting as a technical focal point for customers integrating Leonardo Precision Guidance products, including SAL Seeker and Compact Seeker solutions.

• Providing specialist direction during system integration, verification, validation and acceptance activities.

• Advising customers on seeker performance, system interfaces, environmental considerations and operational capabilities.

• Supporting the resolution of technical issues encountered during integration, qualification and operational activities.

• Acting as the customer advocate within Leonardo, ensuring issues, risks and opportunities are effectively communicated to internal engineering teams.

Integration, Verification and Test Support

• Supporting customers in developing integration strategies and verification approaches.

• Assisting with the planning, execution and optimisation of laboratory, rig, ground and platform-based testing.

• Participating in integration reviews, test readiness reviews and customer technical reviews.

• Supporting data collection, analysis and assessment activities during trials and demonstrations.

• Helping customers establish meaningful test objectives, success criteria and evidence-based acceptance approaches.

• Identifying opportunities to improve integration efficiency, reduce programme risk and maximise test value.

Trials, Demonstrations and Operational Support

• Supporting customer trials, weapon integration activities and capability demonstrations.

• Providing on-site technical expertise during domestic and international trial campaigns.

• Supporting the transition of Precision Guidance products from development into operational service.

• Assisting customers in understanding product capabilities, limitations and best practices for employment.

Customer and Stakeholder Engagement

Building and maintaining effective working relationships with:

• UK and international defence customers.

• Platform and weapon system integrators.

• Defence prime contractors.

• Internal Leonardo Precision Guidance engineering teams.

• Programme management, business development and support functions.

Business and Product Improvement

• Providing customer insight to influence future Precision Guidance product development.

• Supporting business capture activities through technical demonstrations and customer engagement where required.

• Feeding lessons learned from customer activities into Leonardo's engineering and support processes.

• Supporting wider ISP Line of Business objectives as reasonably required.

What You'll Bring

Essential

• Degree, HNC/HND or equivalent experience in Systems Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics or a related discipline.

• Experience supporting the integration, verification and testing of complex defence or aerospace systems.

• Strong understanding of systems engineering principles and the system lifecycle.

• Experience working directly with customers and technical stakeholders.

• Ability to analyse technical problems and communicate solutions effectively.

• Willingness and ability to travel extensively within the UK and internationally.
• Ability to obtain and maintain appropriate UK security clearance.

Highly Desirable

• Experience of guided weapons, seekers, electro-optical systems or precision guidance technologies.

• Experience supporting weapons integration programmes.

• Familiarity with verification, validation and qualification processes.

• Experience supporting live trials, customer demonstrations or operational evaluation activities.

• Experience of safety management and risk assessments, including where associated with laser, outdoor working, machinery, airborne equipment.

• Experience in managing data collection, manipulation and analysis as part of facilitating successful tests and trials.

• Knowledge of military platforms and weapon system architectures.

• Experience working with international defence customers.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.

• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.

• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).

• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.

• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.

• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.

• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.

• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Where this vacancy is being recruited across more than one grade, the successful candidate will be appointed to a specific assessed grade, and the applicable salary range will be that associated with the grade of appointment.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

Primary Location:

GB - Basildon

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid